sama Karamat, better known as OCL, his stage name, is proud of the fact that he is the only rap artist to make a jump to cinema with Umro Ayyar.

An elaborate production with an all-star cast including Usman Mukhtar, Faran Tahir, Sanam Saeed, Ali Kazmi, Adnan Siddiqui, Simi Raheal, Sana Nawaz, Manzar Sehbai, Daniyal Raheal, Salmaan Shaukat, Osama Karamat, Uloomi Karim, Asad Chau-dhary, Atif Rehan Siddique, Muhammad Imran, Bilal Jutt, Ruman Ali, Shehroz Sana-ullah and Hamza Ali Abbasi, with direction by Azfar Jafri.

An homage to Urdu lit-erature (as you will discover and somewhere in the realm of fantasy, surrealism), is it a challenging move to go from rap to the big screen with such a film – with all eyes on it?

Has Faris Shafi, an aston-ishing rapper, done it? Yes, but he appeared in The Legend of Maula Jatt after first appearing on television, which makes Osama’s jump unique.

“I can’t say this enough but acting is something I always wanted to get into.

For someone who has grown up on action, sci-fi and superhero as well as fantasy films, for me to be able to get a project that is similar to all those genres, it is a dream come to true.

I know it sounds cliche but I couldn’t have asked for more.

“Whatever involvement
I could have in this film as an actor, or whatever else I could contribute was whole-hearted; walking on the sets was like walking into my childhood dreams.

“I know the revival of Pakistani cinema is a motto nowadays but the revival has happened. We can be playing with more genres as far as Pakistani films go but films like The Legend of Maula Jatt and Laal Kabootar are examples of what happens when we step out of the box.

“I cannot say it will revive, or add or change anything. It will – however – raise the bar for local talent and local directors (with all due respect to everyone). It will take the audience to a place where they will now expect better from our own filmmakers. Gone is the time of just one genre like rom-com. Those films have a space, don’t get me wrong. But it’s been working in Hollywood for decades; why not here as well?”

Working in the film allowed Osama to interact with other actors and he believes each of them are masters of their craft. It was like an acting buffet for him, he told Instep.

“I was a student watching them and like a sponge I took everything in.”

As for making a debut in a film that is both ambitious and prolific, did Osama feel butterflies in his stomach because this will be his first film?

“It will be my film debut so I do have butterflies but I am also confident in the whole product and what will be put out and it’s definitely going to be huge.” Umro Ayyar is loosely based on Dastaan-e-Amir Hamza and is a modern retelling of Umro Ayyar’s adventures.

Osama feels the Pakis-tani audience is ready for an experience like this and its own heroes.

“I’m confident we are ready for our own heroes, icons and this film will help in setting a bar where peo-ple will want to know more about our generational stories.”